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Another IM member held for Pune serial blasts

Last Updated 17 October 2012, 20:44 IST

After the arrest of three Indian Mujahideen members recently, one of their accomplices has been arrested in Jaipur for carrying out the 2012 Pune serial blasts while he was moving from one hideout to another.

Landge Irfan Mustafa, 30, of Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, was nabbed on October 10 at Sindhi Camp bus stand in Jaipur. He was held after the Delhi Police special cell, during interrogation of three other Indian Mujahideen members — who were involved in the blasts and were arrested in the Capital — came to know about his involvement, said special commissioner of police S N Srivastava.

Srivastava said on September 26 and on October 1, they arrested three IM members Asad Khan, 23, Imran Khan and Sayed Feroz, 38, with explosives, detonators and other incriminating material for carrying out the serial blasts on August 1 in Pune.
The interrogation of these three men led to the identification of Mustafa.

Raids were conducted at his hideouts, but he was absconding. On October 9, following a tip-off that Mustafa would go to Jaipur, a police team went to Rajasthan and nabbed him on October 10.

Mustafa was brought to Delhi where, during interrogation, he confessed that he was involved in the serial blasts in Pune. He told police that in July 2012, Riyaz Bhatkal, the mastermind of IM, who is hiding in Pakistan, gave instructions to arrange a rented accommodation in Pune.

“Accordingly, he went to Pune where he along with Feroz, whom he already knew, managed to find a place for rent at Kasarwadi,” said Srivastava.

Thereafter, he received two men — both absconding IM members — who took them to the rented place where Feroz was already there. He also said he had met one absconding member in November 11 in Pune. The next day, the two men provided them a list of various electronic items for making improvised explosive devices (IED), which they bought from Pune. He was also involved in making the IED.

“Riyaz Bhatkal sent him Rs 3 lakh through hawala for the terrorist activity. He also bought two pistols on the instruction of Bhatkal and gave them to Imran,” said Srivastava.

Police said Mustafa came in touch with Asad in July 2007 in Aurangabad when his younger sister got married to Asad. Then Asad introduced Mustafa to Imran. He came in contact with Imran, who started living in his neighbourhood in Ahmednagar. They shared the same jehadi ideology and thus remained in regular contact.

In mid-2010, Feroz got in touch with Sameer, a resident of Ahmednagar, who used to come to his garment shop.

When Feroz’s son Hamza was admitted at Zamia Mohamaddia Madrasa in Ahmednagar, he used to go there frequently. During such meetings, he came in contact with Sameer, who in turn introduced him to Mustafa.

Mustafa told police that he met Fayyaz Qagzi of Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2010 when he and Irfan went to Mecca. Then they thought of carrying out terror activities in India.
Police said they are looking for two other IM members who were involved in the serial blasts.

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(Published 17 October 2012, 20:44 IST)

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